Apparatus for rescuing- horses from fire



E. FRENCH.

Stable Stall No. 29,370. PatentedJuIy 31, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA FRENCH, OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS.-

.APPARATUS FOR RESCUING HORSES FROM FIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,370, dated July 31, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA FRENCH, of Braintree, in the county ofNorfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Horse-Rescue for Rescuing Horses from Fires; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus detached; and Fig. 2 isa view of the same attached to the side of a stall, and also showing howthe rescue-rope, chain or wire, may be supported and carried over anynumber of stalls to the stable-door, or entrance, however remote.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in both figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow describe its construction and operation.

In the conflagration of barns and stables, owing to the rapid spread ofthe flames, smoke and heat, many valuable horses are often lost, becauseit is impossible to get at them, untie and lead them from danger.

The nature of my invention, therefore, consists in a certain combinationand arrangement of devices whereby a person, standing at the door of thebarn, or stable, however remote from the stall, by simply pulling a ropeor chain, may instantly not only unhitch a horse, but also lead him out.

A is a plate about twelve inches long and six Wide, (more or less) ofcast or wrought iron, or hard wood plank, into. which are fastened twoiron staples, b, b, as shown in Fig. 1.

C is an iron bolt about eight inches long, two wide, and one inch thick,(more or less) passing through the staples, I) Z), one edge restingagainst the plate A. Through the lower extremity of this bolt is a roundhole to receive the halter ring 9; and near the upper end is an oblongslot through which passes the spring-latch, D, which is made of sheetsteel bent so as to form a loop, d, to receive the ring e-one extremityof said spring-latch being also bent so as to stand out from the other,as shown in Fig. 1, so

that, after being passed through the slot,v

it will spring open and confine itself sufficiently fast, and, restingon the upper staple I), prevent the bolt, C, from dropping, or drawingout.

6 is a ring passing through loop, d.

f is a chain, one end of which is linked to ring 6, the other to thehalter-ring g.

H is a rope, chain or wire, attached to the ring 6, and passing thence,as represented in Fig. 2, above the stall or stalls to the barn, orstable, door, being supported by the flat spring, 8, s, which may beopened at the bottom to receive it and hold it sufficiently tight, butnot so tight that a moderate pull will not release it. Each stall mayhave a separate rope, H, or one may answer for a number of stalls byattaching to it shorter ropes and confining them to the rings, 6, in thedifferent stalls.

The plate A is fastened to one side of a stall five or six feet from thefloor and near the crib, so that the horses halter may be convenientlyhitched to the ring g.

The operation of the apparatus hardly needs an explanation. It isobvious that by pulling rope, H, spring-latch D will be with drawn; boltC will drop, or be drawn, from the staples b b, and as H is connectedwit-h the halter-ring, g, by means of chain f, the horse is not onlyunhitched but also attached to the end of a long leading line (H) bywhich he can be conducted from the stall, or stable, with the greatestdespatch,-thus saving, in case of fire, the animal, without endangeringthe life of the man. The apparatus will also be found of value for leading from a stable vicious horses which it is not safe to approach frombehind.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the rope H, springlatch D, connectingchain f, halter-ring and sliding bolt C, substantially as described andfor the objects specilied.

ELISHA FRENCH. .VVitnesses MINOTT E. HUNT, CHAS. H. Dow.

